SpectraWordPress extension · Brainstormforce
CVE-2023-23738
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedImproper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') vulnerability in Brainstorm Force Spectra allows Content Spoofing, Phishing.This issue affects Spectra: from n/a through 2.3.0.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis is an injection vulnerability in the Brainstorm Force Spectra WordPress plugin that allows attackers to inject malicious content into output, enabling content spoofing and phishing attacks. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements in output, likely in user-generated content or plugin settings that are rendered without proper sanitization.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
SpectraWordPress extension
< 2.3.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate Spectra plugin installationCheck the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for a folder named 'spectra' or 'ultimate-addons-for-gutenberg' (Spectra's alternate name), or run: wp plugin list --name='spectra'Affected if The plugin folder is not present, meaning Spectra is not installed
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Identify installed Spectra versionCheck the plugin header in the main plugin file (e.g., spectra.php or ultimate-addons-for-gutenberg.php) for the 'Version' field, or run: wp plugin get spectra --format=jsonAffected if The version number is less than 2.3.1 (for example: 2.3.0, 2.2.9, etc.)
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Confirm plugin is activeRun: wp plugin is-active spectra (or the applicable plugin slug), or check via WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins > Installed PluginsAffected if The plugin shows as active and the version is below 2.3.1
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Identify output rendering pointsReview plugin settings in WordPress admin under Spectra settings pages (Gutenberg settings, widget areas, or custom post type outputs where Spectra blocks or templates are used)Affected if The plugin is active and renders any user-editable content or settings without clear sanitization
A user is affected if the Spectra plugin is installed, active, and running a version numbered lower than 2.3.1.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2.3.1
Upgrade Spectra to the latest version beyond 2.3.0, which should contain the fix for this injection vulnerability. Review plugin settings and user input fields for proper output encoding.
Spectra 2.3.1
- Upgrade the Spectra plugin to version 2.3.1 or later via the WordPress plugin dashboard or FTP
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Spectra
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-23738 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-23738 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data